Águila Real
by Sunburned-Stickperson
Summary: Sequel to "Volacious." The first, and last, sequel I'll probably ever write. Many thanks to my wonderful, patient, and ever-helpful beta, Warfang.
1. Chapter 1

Altair groaned when he heard the sound of the rain pattering against the window, pulling Malik closer. He didn't want to take Desmond to school. Malik yawned and stirred, stretching out and burrowing under the covers. In the hallway, he heard, "Altair, school! Altair, school!" and the sound of tiny feet running down the hallway. He hated alarm clocks. He heard a soft whine, and a little bit of scrabbling before the door opened, and he cursed quietly as he felt a tug on the covers.

"Me go school Altair!"

Altair grunted.

"Me go school Altair!"

He heard a soft whine and let go of Malik, rolling over to crack open one eye to see a small head of brown hair trying to climb up. He sighed heavily and looked over the edge, snaking a hand over to help Desmond up. The boy held on tightly, and he lifted him onto the bed, falling backward. He tried to roll over, but he found Desmond on his chest.

"Altair school! Altair school! Seven dot dot zero one! Altair school me! Me go school Altair!"

Altair sighed when he heard Malik snigger, and he opened in his eyes to see a happy, smiley Desmond sitting on his chest, squirming. He sighed again. "Okay… get off me, and I'll get ready."

Desmond shrieked as he sat up, catching the boy to help him fall into the bed. With a shake of his head, he got out of bed, letting his brother follow him into the bathroom, where three toothbrushes sat, two white, and one green with a dinosaur handle. He grabbed Desmond, throwing him up in the air before putting him on the sink counter. He put a little toothpaste on it, watching as he grabbed the brush, sticking it in his mouth and humming merrily. Altair brushed his teeth, spat, and rinsed, helping Desmond finish before grabbing him with one arm and walking down the hallway as he were carrying a log. He tried to keep the smile threatening to emerge as Desmond wiggled and giggled, and he pushed open Ezio's door, flicking the lights fast enough it almost looked like a strobe light.

"Boys, rise and shine."

There were two grunts from the bunk beds, and he watched two lumps worm, trying to keep the lights from waking them. Desmond shrieked, and Altair set him down, squatting down to smack his rump playfully and watching as the boy ran over to the bottom bunk and tugged on the sheets.

"Altair school! Altair school!"

He watched as Kadar's head peeked out of the cover. He looked so tired, Altair's heart almost went out to him. Eventually, Ezio rolled over, practically falling out of the top bunk to sit tiredly on the door, and Desmond went nuts, running around the room.

"I go school Altair! I go school Altair!"

He rose tiredly. "Get ready, boys. It's time to get ready for school."

Ezio grunted, and Altair smirked. "If you don't, I'll send Malik in after you."

Kadar shot up, eyes wide. "N-no!"

He snickered and turned to leave, letting Desmond run out ahead, tripping over nothing in the hallway and falling with an "oof!" He almost helped him, but the boy was all ready off to his room, and Altair walked back to his room, pulling on some sweats and an undershirt. He stumbled down the stairs to find Desmond in the front door closet, pulling out his bag and putting some toys and his new favorite blanket into it. He left the boy to do as he pleased, walking into the kitchen to grab the box of Poptarts and take a pack, fixing Desmond a small cup of cinnamon applesauce. Desmond came in, pulling the bag behind him and puffing. He scooped him up and placed him on the table to eat.

He fixed Ezio's and Kadar's lunches, before Julianne-ing carrots, cutting an apple, and grabbing a handful of Cheerios. He put them in small containers, as well as peanut butter, and hoped they'd have macaroni and cheese in the cafeteria today. He stuck the small containers in a third lunchbox, turning around to find Desmond with applesauce all over his face. He rolled his eyes, grabbing a paper napkin and walking over.

"Desmond," he said, grabbing his chin.

Desmond growled and tried to jerk away when he brought the napkin to his mouth. He heard the boy whine as he fought with him to clean his mouth. When he was satisfied, he let go, and Desmond growled. Altair raised an eyebrow.

"Are you a dinosaur?"

Desmond growled again, an adorably-menacing look crossing his face, and when Altair went to pick him up, he hissed, snapping at his hands.

"Dinosaur! Rawr!"

Altair chuckled, ruffling his hair and pulling his hand back before he lost it to the dinosaur. Minutes later, Ezio and Kadar came shuffling in, each grabbing a poptart from the opened pack. He had a pot of coffee ready when Malik came in and handed him a cup. Ezio was helping Desmond down, and the boy was stomping around, roaring with his hands curled like claws. He grabbed the lunchbox for Desmond and picked up the bag with the toys. After attaching them, he heard the boy roar, and felt two small hands grab his leg before a small set of teeth started gnawing on his leg. He looked down to see Desmond pretending to eat him.

"Desmond, if you do that, I can't take you to school."

The boy roared again and stomped off, and he rolled his eyes as he slung the bag over his shoulder. Eventually, Malik finished his coffee and walked out.

"You novice!"

Altair walked out to see his friend walking up the stairs with Desmond. "What?"

"You forgot to dress him!"

Altair hit his head on the wall. He did not like mornings. Especially rainy mornings. As he herded them from the house to the car, Desmond pulled Shaun out of the bag and wiggled as he strapped him into the car seat, and Altair swore fluently as the rain tried to drown him.

"Hurry up, idiot!"

"I'm trying, you ass!"

He hated when Malik was the driver. He clicked the last buckle together and closed the door, running to the passenger's side and getting in.

"You look like a drowned rat."

Altair scowled. "I feel like one."

He flicked on the heat as Malik pulled out, and he said goodbye to the boys from the car as they dropped them off at the middle school. When they pulled into the high school, Altair sighed.

"Ready?" Malik asked.

Altair glared at him and turned in the seat, unbuckling Desmond from where he sat. "You get to grab him."

Malik glared back, and Altair sneered.

"Go."

He bolted from the car, bursting through the doors and hightailing it to the office before stopping.

"Altair! Got Desmon—"

Malik came in, Desmond on his hip. He took the boy from him, and Desmond wrapped his arms around his neck, trying to hide from the Secretary.

"Hi, Desmond."

The boy clung tighter, and the secretary laughed.

"What happened, Desmond? I thought you were a dinosaur just a few minutes ago?"

The boy whimpered at his statement, and he rolled his eyes. Then, without warning, the boy threw Shaun at the secretary. She gave an exaggerated "scream" and grabbed the tiger, pretending to be under attack, and Desmond started giggling.

"Help me, Desmond! Help! Ahh!"

He giggled again. "No!"

"Please! Aaaaaah!"

"No!" He shrieked happily when she flopped over, her tongue hanging out. "Shaun!"

When she didn't respond, he pursed his lips. "Uh-oh…"

"I think Shaun ate her," Altair murmured.

"No!" Desmond gasped. "No! Shaun good! Shaun no bite!"

The secretary laughed, sitting up and handing the tiger back to him. She was such a nice woman.

"Thanks," he said, and the woman shook her head.

"You're a good brother."

There were a few seconds of quiet as she registered him and pulled out a guest sticker for him. Altair placed it on the back of his brother's shirt.

"Good luck today."

"We're going to need it," Malik huffed, and Altair nodded goodbye as they headed out to the halls.

He watched as the kids parted around him, carefully avoiding his little brother clinging tightly. Ever since the fight with Robert, people were cautious around his brothers. Not that he minded. The younger they were, the more they flocked to him, and several times, Ezio had brought home pictures from the newspapers the media had gotten and asked him to sign them for his friends. Malik paced alongside him, his gaze trained on the groups of girls clustered at their lockers.

"Desmond!"

He turned to look as a beautiful young woman with long black hair came walking to them. He didn't see the murderous glare Malik sent her way as Desmond clung tighter. He felt a small smile tug at his lips.

"Hi, Adha."

"Hey, Altair." She stopped in front of them, and she smiled at him before holding her arms out. "Desmond, do I get a hug?"

Desmond whimpered and cuddled closer, trying to hide in his neck. Altair bumped him.

"What's gotten into you, Desmond? Don't you remember me?"

"Desmond?" Altair murmured when he buried his face into his neck. "Adha sucker."

"Sucker?" Desmond whispered.

"Suckers. Adha."

Desmond shrieked happily, throwing his hand in the air, the tiger flopping in his hand. "Sucker! Sucker!"

He squirmed in Altair's arms, and Adha laughed, taking him from him. He screamed again and wrapped his arms tightly around her. He followed her to her locker, Malik right beside him, and when he looked at him, he frowned. Malik looked _pissed_. Concerned, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders, rubbing it briefly. The man relaxed under his touch and looked at him, and he furrowed his brow. Malik shook his head and looked back at his brother, who was digging through a bag of Dum-Dum suckers. He smiled, keeping his arm around his shoulders, until Desmond had a grape sucker in his hands, tittering merrily as he unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth. He made grabby hands at Altair, who let go to take his brother back.

"What do you say, Desmond?"

Desmond looked at him with wide brown eyes, then back at Adha, who was putting the sucker bag back. She kept them in her locker for the sole purpose of spoiling Desmond rotten whenever he came with.

"Say 'Thank you.'"

"T'ank you."

"Any time."

Altair placed one hand on her arm and kissed her cheeks. She had told him it was a common thank you from her home country, and he was more than happy to oblige her. Besides, she was drop-dead gorgeous, and he wouldn't argue. She beamed when he pulled back and adjusted Desmond on his hip, kissing his nose. The boy hummed happily, and he smiled at her.

"Thanks."

"No problem. See you at lunch?"

"Yeah."

He turned around and jerked slightly at the positively _hateful _look Malik had, and he frowned as he held Desmond closer. Malik paced alongside him as he walked to his locker, only to find a poster taped to it of his head on Uncle Sam and across the bottom, "I want YOU to stand up against bullying." He scowled and ripped it off, stuffing it in his locker as he grabbed his pencils. Thankfully, he had only one final left to finish and graduated that night. His last day of school: he hoped he could last.

The first classes of the day where filled with movies and lots of Desmond humming quietly to himself as he colored. The girls in his class were awing over him, and Desmond would blush and cling to him. He would slowly pry him off, and the girls would turn back to giggling and whispering. Desmond would return to happily humming and scribbling in the coloring book, playing with the toy dinosaurs, or bouncing in Altair's lap. As the classes dragged by, he thought about the upcoming week, and he could feel the nerves creep up on him. Tonight he graduated, and then the following week, he had his court date. His stomach clenched, and he shifted nervously.

He didn't know what to expect, but if Desmond's psychologist meeting had been anything to go by, he wasn't looking forward to it. Sure, he had met with the lawyer, and he had walked him through it, and he couldn't wait to get Robert locked up behind bars. But, still, he would be going from graduation to court to college all within a couple of months. He watched Desmond color, his mind racing, and he hardly noticed when the bell rang for lunch.

Walking through the line, he grabbed the small carton of mac and cheese, paid for his food, and found the booth Malik had gotten. He nodded to Adha as he slid in next to Malik. He wondered if Desmond would be safe at the Hastings' while he was in court. He hoped he had fun with Shaun, and he hoped that Robert would be locked up for a long time to come. He was concerned for his little brother: even though it was two weeks after the attack, he still had nightmares occasionally, and Altair would jolt awake and rush to his room when he heard the screaming and crying coming from his little brother. He knew the police had contacted their mother, but he hadn't yet checked to see if she was actually coming home or not.

"Novice, I can hear you thinking."

He blinked, looking at Malik as Desmond played with an apple slice he had covered with peanut butter. Their hands were twined together, and he looked back at Desmond, who smiled largely at him and tried to feed him a slice of apple. With a soft smile, he bit it, and Desmond shrieked happily, digging his fingers into the cup of mac and cheese and eating it.

"What were you thinking about?" he heard Adha murmur.

He looked at her as Desmond dropped a handful on the ground, watching it splat. He clicked his tongue. "Desmond."

The boy looked up at him.

"No."

He blinked. "Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"Why?"

"Because it's bad."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Desmond."

"No."

"Don't do that."

"No."

He raised an eyebrow, and Desmond shook his head.

"Nooooooo."

"Yeeeeessss," he murmured, nuzzling against his head.

The boy giggled. "Noooooo!"

"Yeeeeessss."

Desmond shrieked again and turned back to his food, grabbing a handful of carrots and offering them to Maria as she sat down.

"No, thank you, Desmond."

"No!"

She chuckled. "He's a mess."

"He's two-years-old," Malik responded.

"True, true…"

He squeezed Malik's hand lightly, feeling him rub his foot against his leg in return. His mind wandered back to the court date, and his stomach twisted again. Perhaps he could call Ezio's father. He kept Ezio's dad on speed dial, against his mother's wishes. The man was fun to be around, always spoiling his younger brothers with small trinkets and toys. His mother hated the man, but Altair wasn't afraid to have him over. There was something about him that made Altair feel safe. He would cook for them, and the man would inquire about his son's life, his life, asking if he needed help with Desmond. That was probably his biggest fault: he did have lots of help to raise Desmond, but he didn't _want _to let anyone else raise his baby brother. Their conversations were few and far between, but the man was always happy to drop whatever he was doing at the bank to come and visit. Altair couldn't understand why his mother had divorced Giovanni, but the man had a lovely wife now with a child named Petruccio and an older named Federico, who was from his first marriage. Altair had never actually met the other two kids (he was nine when they got divorced), but he knew that Giovanni would raise them well.

He could never figure out why Giovanni couldn't take the kids, but was always open to come over. Whatever was required of him at the bank kept him open during the days, he supposed, but at nights, made him too busy. Nevertheless, Altair didn't push it. He figured, when he was in court, he could ask Giovanni to watch the kids. He didn't like the idea of leaving them with Mrs. Hastings. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but he didn't trust her completely. He had met her only two weeks ago. He wondered if Giovanni could possibly watch them tonight after graduation, since he did have plans with Malik.

"Stop thinking, Altair."

He blinked, and Desmond offered him a handful of carrots.

"Are you okay?" Adha asked, and he looked at her briefly.

"Yeah. Just… have a lot on my mind."

"You've got a lot going on."

He pursed his lips, and Desmond offered him a handful of carrots again. He sighed and opened his mouth, letting him feed him, and Desmond giggled before yawning. It was almost time for a nap, and it was almost time for his last final. He had cheese and peanut butter all over his fingers, and Altair sighed. He would have to clean him up.

"Just think: we graduate tonight."

He nodded.

"Are you going to any parties?"

He could've sworn there was a hopeful tone to Maria's voice, and he shook his head. "I've got plans with Malik."

"What are you doing?"

"I've rented a hotel room." He didn't miss the shocked look on all three of their faces. "It's got room service and free TV. No cooking for a day, sleep in, we can recover and let someone else do all the work."

Malik blinked, then pursed his lips and nodded sagely. "I like that idea."

"So did I."

"Where will the kids be?"

"I can watch them," Adha volunteered.

"Mrs. Hastings'. I'm thinking of calling Giovanni to watch them, though."

"Ezio's dad? Why?"

"I'd feel… better about it."

Malik sighed, and Altair looked at him.

"Why don't you trust her?"

"She seems nice enough, but can she actually fight to protect them?"

"Altair, a mother's wrath is nothing to fuck with."

He pursed his lips as Desmond dipped an apple slice into the mac and cheese. He bit into it and munched merrily, yawning again halfway through the bite. He smacked his lips, then swallowed, and Altair started packing up.

"Malik… meet you in the bathroom?"

The man nodded, and he picked up the boy, careful of his messy hands and face. Desmond was falling asleep in his arms, and he was relieved the boy would sleep during the final. He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked out into the hallway, careful to warn others of his brother's mess as he made his way into the bathroom. He held Desmond next to the sink as Malik walked in, turned on the water, and proceeded to help clean the little boy. His head was bobbing forward as he was washed. He let out a soft snore once, his head falling before shooting back up. He yawned, blinked, and then the process repeated. Once Desmond was all washed up, Altair nodded at Malik and headed to his classroom.

When he got there, he walked to the farthest corner, the teacher helping him spread out the blanket, and he set Desmond down, pulling Shaun from the bag and tucking it under his head, then folding the blanket loosely atop of him. He pulled his arms out and set them on top of the cover in hopes that it would keep nightmares away by giving him room to move in the blanket. The teacher taped a quiet sign to the front of the door, and Altair reclined in the seat.

"Had to bring your brother on the last final?" the teacher whispered, and Desmond rolled over, wrapping one hand around Shaun's leg and the other hand's thumb sticking in his mouth.

Altair nodded wearily. "Malik has a harder final though. He doesn't understand biology as much as I understand English, so I took him to the final in case something goes wrong."

"Well, if you need a bit of extra time because something goes wrong, I will let you have it. You don't have anything else today, do you?"

"Just gym next, but I can get out of that easily and dump Desmond on Malik."

The teacher laughed quietly as the bell rung, and the students came filing in, several quieting only after they saw Desmond asleep on the floor. As he took the final, he occasionally glanced at Desmond snoring softly on the floor, turning and rolling in the blanket. At one point, he woke, sat up as he smacked his lips, then adjusted the stuffed tiger and fell back asleep.

He handed in the final as the bell rang, and he slowly scooped Desmond up, covering his head with the blanket as he pulled the bag over his shoulder. The other kids came filing in, and after the bell rang a second time and the halls quieted, he headed out to the gym. Malik was outside the door, and he took the bag, walking beside him quietly in his gym uniform.

"Did he wake up at all?"

"Once. I don't think he actually woke up, though."

Malik nodded, and when they entered the gym, the teacher rolled his eyes, letting them sit out until the boy woke with a large yawn. He blinked tiredly.

"Awake, buddy?"

Malik ruffled his hair, and the boy smiled, murmuring his name as he tried to grab Malik's hand. After he had wakened enough to walk around, the teacher threw him the keys to the equipment closet, and he opened it up, pulling out a jump rope and hula-hoop for his brother. Desmond shrieked happily, and he rolled out a basketball, giving him plenty of play things as Malik joined in the others using the P90X.

He walked into the locker room, changed quickly, and walked back in, jumping in without a problem. Halfway through, he saw Desmond come waddling over to Malik, who was next to him, and he tried not to laugh as he saw Desmond grab his crotch, bouncing up and down. His knees were turned inward, and he had a strained look on his face.

"Pee-pee! Malik, gotta pee-pee!"

Malik froze, then blinked, then looked at him and sighed. He scooped the boy up and walked into the bathroom, and a few minutes later, he walked back out, looking irritated as Desmond came stomping out, roaring and growling like a dinosaur. He stomped over, pouncing on the basketball and biting it. Altair rose and walked over, scooping him up as Malik took the ball from him.

"Don't eat the ball, Desmond," Altair said, and Desmond roared, trying to bite Malik when he got too close.

The boy was squirming, and he set him down, watching him go stomping over and pouncing on Shaun. By the time they were done with gym, Desmond was gnawing on Shaun and rolling around with the ball. He scooped the boy up, avoiding getting his hands bitten as he carried him into the locker room. When Desmond saw all the other guys changing, he shrieked, and he tried to pull off his own shirt.

"Me too! Me too!"

Altair rolled his eyes and grabbed the hems of his shirt, tugging it back down.

"Me too! Me too!" he screamed, kicking and flailing.

Altair sighed, helping him take off his shirt and pants before wrestling him into his gym shirt. The boy looked ecstatic, running out of the locker room in his older brother's oversized clothes. He got only a few paces before he tripped and fell on his hands, getting up after just a second and running around screaming happily. Slowly, he herded him out of the gym and scooped him up, squirming and wiggling, and he looked at Malik. The rain was still coming down, not nearly as heavy as that morning, but still heavy enough.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

They burst from the doors and ran to the car, listening to Desmond shriek happily. He buckled him in as quickly as possible, slammed the door shut, then high-tailed into the passenger's seat. He turned on the heat, listening to the squeal of tires and the hardly-controlled automobile as Malik pulled from the parking spot and raced off to pick up the boys. When they pulled into the middle school, parked right outside the entrance, Altair scowled.

"I know what they're doing, and it won't work."

Malik looked at him, the windshield wipers frantically sweeping the water off to the sides of the car. Desmond was happily munching on the remainder of the apple, humming merrily to himself as Altair growled.

"They want me to come in. I bet he has some friends who saw the media coverage."

Malik laughed. "That's what you get. Out with you then, your… fans… are waiting."

"Can't you get them?"

"Oh, come on now," Malik said, and Altair hissed at the mirth in his voice, "you need to be a role model for these boys. And girls."

He scowled. "I didn't ask to be. I won't. Go get them."

Malik leaned back in the seat, giving him a smug smirk as he crossed his arms. "I don't think so, Altair. You've damned yourself to a life of heroism for saving your little brothers."

Altair hunched over. "No. I didn't ask for it."

"I don't care. Go on. Get out."

"Why do I have to get them? I had to buckle Desmond in."

"I had to unbuckle him. While he was squirming and thrashing because he was going to the 'big kids'' school."

Altair hissed. "I don't want to go get them."

"You must."

"No."

"You must."

"Ezio! Kadar!" Desmond screamed, clapping his hands together.

Altair sighed. "Please, Malik?"

"Oh, wait, what was that?"

Malik cupped a hand around his ear, and he snarled, "Please?"

"You didn't ask very nicely."

Altair growled. "I hate you."

"Nope, that wasn't it."

Altair covered his face with his hands, then glared at Malik and undid his seat belt. "Fine," he snarled. "I'll do it. Asshole."

Malik laughed as he got out and darted toward the door. He pushed through the doors, finding himself surrounded by little kids. He hated little kids.

"Ezio?"

He flinched when he saw several faces turn to him, and his demeanor turned cold as he steeled himself. With a gentle push, he started pushing his way through the crowd of middle schoolers, moving them out of his way, ignoring the whispers, and flinching when they would come up to him. He pushed through to the cafeteria, where there were dozens of little kids waiting for their parents. It was Hell, contained in a school cafeteria.

He scanned the crowds, trying to remain rather hidden, until he spotted Kadar and Ezio—in a crowd of children, talking merrily—and he _swore_ Kadar looked straight at him, smirking at him. He bet that Malik put him up to that. With an almost pained look on his face (which came off as rather intimidating), he stepped into the room, breathing deeply as he pushed his way to his brother. The topic of conversation (he was thoroughly _displeased_ to note) changed to him and his rescue almost immediately as he passed them by.

As he drew near, he grimaced when Ezio waved excitedly.

"Altair! Come here! I need you to—"

"No," he growled, stepping over and crossing his arms. He _hated_ places with all these little kids. It wasn't as if he hated the kids, but he hated being surrounded by them. That was why he liked his house so much. It was just Ezio, Kadar, and Desmond. Perhaps Shaun, if he was asked to.

Ezio gave him "a look." "Come on, it's Rauf's birthday, please?"

Altair's face dropped, and he met Ezio's pleading gaze with a disapproving one. The other kids were watching with awed whispers. "Ezio."

"And—oh! His birthday party is tomorrow! Can we go?"

He sighed, digging the heel of his palm into his eyes. He was cold; he was wet, and he was _annoyed_. "We'll have to go—"

"No, we won't! Because you're going to get your picture taken with him, and sign the newspaper article for him!"

He hated his little brothers. With an irritated sigh, he agreed.

"I told you he was a pushover, Rauf!"

The boy looked ecstatic, and he watched Ezio grab his backpack. Kadar was shuffling his feet, that same smug look on his face Malik had had, and he promised himself he'd kill the boy one of these days.

He snapped, "Hurry up. It's cold."

Kadar and Ezio laughed, and soon enough, he was all but pushing them out of the way and through the doors. It was only after he was in the car that he smashed his head against the dashboard. Desmond shrieked happily, giggling at the sight of his brother doing that, and briefly, the thought crossed his mind that he _shouldn't_ have saved his brothers.

"I hate you."

"Altair," Malik began, "don't say that about—"

"No," he growled, turning his gaze on his friend, "you. I hate you. Ezio told you about Rauf's party. He planned it out with you."

Malik smirked, and Altair swore fluently. The car ride was filled with Ezio and Kadar telling Malik about their day, and the damn bastard refused to turn on the heat, so he was freezing by the time they got back. To think his last day of school had gone so well. He was graduating tonight. He hoped. There was still a chance that someone might find Malik's body, and he'd be arrested.

"You get the others in," Altair said. "I'll grab Desmond."

"Sure thing," Malik said, shepherding the boys out and into the house. He struggled to get Desmond unbuckled, pleased that the rain was slowing down a little more, and grabbed the bag and the boy. He sprinted into the house, not wanting to get even wetter if that was possible.

Once they were in, he went upstairs, changed, then came back down and wrapped himself in a blanket. He flopped on the couch, hearing Malik go about fixing dinner. After an hour, he shuffled in when Malik called, and he sat at the table, watching the others assemble. He rubbed his arms briskly. Ezio and Kadar were chatting away merrily, and he didn't realize how quickly the evening passed until he was sitting at graduation, struggling to stay awake. He had run out to pick up some extra gummies for Desmond and a new package of diapers and picked up the keys for the hotel room, which were now snuggly in his pocket.

Desmond and their siblings were up in the bleachers, probably coloring away in a coloring book Mrs. Hastings had brought for them, and he had insisted that they go back to her house, but she had wanted to see him walk with his class. The person beside him nudged him, and he blinked, snapping awake again. He was _always_ exhausted after a rainy school day where his brother conned him into letting him go to a birthday party by forcing him to walk into a cafeteria full of little kids. And in speaking of which... He had absolutely no idea where the party was, or what time it was at. And Desmond's birthday was quickly approaching, too, lodged right in the middle of summer.

He was so caught up in planning his brother's birthday that he almost missed when his row stood to approach the platform to receive the diplomas. His eyes swept the crowd, and he was pleased to see them all sitting together. He frowned at the sight of Ezio and Kadar: they were hunched over their Gameboys, and a stranger, dressed entirely in white, with a cloak that came to a beak-like point covering his face from his view, was laughing and playing along with his brothers, who seemed all too eager to get to know the stranger. He watched them closely as he approached the stage. He could feel himself smile as he received his diploma, and it was only after he was shaking hands with the principal and walking off he felt a small body collide into his. He landed with a grunt on his butt.

"Altair!" he heard screeched merrily, and the entire room was silent.

He shook his head to regain himself and looked down to see Desmond's big brown eyes staring at him, and he sighed, rising and scooping his little brother up, who took the diploma case and opened it, turning it this way and that as he tried to figure out what it was. He started chuckling, earning a startled look from Desmond, who eventually shrieked happily, settling into his arms and holding the diploma for him after grabbing the mortar board cap and insisting on wearing it.

He was still chuckling as he got back to his seat, spinning Desmond in his lap to face him, bouncing him up and down as the boy smiled at him. He tried to send him back to Mrs. Hastings, but when the boy looked about ready to throw a tantrum, he decided against it. The students around him looked a little bewildered, but Altair wasn't going to have it any other way. He held a finger to the boy's lips, urging him to be silent as he playing with him quietly, tug-of-warring with the diploma and letting the boy cuddle against him, barely catching the cap as it fell off his head.

Desmond was drawing all over the diploma with his finger as they filed off, and he set the boy down, plopping the hat on his head and offering his hand as Desmond stuck his thumb in his mouth, glancing around warily at all the people moving. He eventually took his hand, and Altair smiled down at him, the mortar board back on the little man's head as they walked off, hand-in-hand. He hoped the others wouldn't kill him for ruining their graduation, but Desmond was, well, Desmond. How he escaped Mrs. Hastings' watchful eye was beyond him.

"Well," Maria said, approaching him behind the stage, "that's one way to go out with a bang."

Adha was giggling, and he felt himself shrink back a bit. "I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," Adha said, walking over and scooping up his brother, producing a lollipop from _nowhere_ and giving it to him. "We can't help it that Desmond is such a spirit."

He shook his head, apologizing to the class as they came in. He felt awful for it happening. Most of them brushed it off with a smile and a laugh, not entirely surprised it had been something with _Altair's brothers_ that had caused chaos. Desmond was drinking up Adha's attentions and the attentions of the other girls, and he found himself watching them.

"Careful, or that smile may become permanent."

He looked when Malik appeared beside him, giving him an amused smile. He rolled his eyes and watched as one of the girls—Natalie?—threw his brother in the air and caught him, another popping the sucker back in his mouth after she caught him. Desmond was babbling happily, looking back and forth between him and whoever was showering him with affection. His brothers were in everything he did, it seemed. A few of the men were joining the girls, the others settling for glaring at Altair. Desmond was happily clinging to Adha, his head resting on her chest as he yawned, when the girls started clearing out.

"Altair, you going to any of the parties?"

"You should come with me to a party!"

"I can show you a good time."

He rolled his eyes, watching as Desmond's eyes closed. He looked up at Adha, smiling softly. She was beautiful, and Desmond just looked as if he belonged there. He briefly wondered if any child would look like that against her chest, and he almost wanted to reach out and brush her hair behind her ear. She was gorgeous.

"Do you want him back?"

"He seems pretty content there."

"Well, he is a man," she said with a laugh, adjusting the boy a little.

His brother mumbled something, his eyes fluttering open briefly as he nestled back down, yawning.

"This is the first time a woman has held him when he falls asleep. It's probably a lot softer than my chest."

"Your mother never held him?"

He gathered her stuff for her as Malik spat, "His mother left us alone at three months."

He picked up her purse and her make-up, cleaning up the mess and holding the purse as she cooed softly and gently ran a hand though Desmond's hair. He found himself watching her, smiling, and she looked up from Desmond to meet his gaze. Her eyes were so warm, and he briefly wondered if she had any plans to get married later in life. As they headed out, he found himself leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"Thank you, Adha."

She beamed at him, Desmond snoring softly in her arms. It was a pity she was going halfway across the nation for college. He'd have to keep in contact with her.

"It's no problem, Altair."

As he held the door for them, scanning for Mrs. Hastings, he missed the absolutely _malicious_ looks Malik and Adha exchanged. When he found them, walking one step in front of Adha to protect her from the other people around them, she was ripping into her husband.

"I told you, Jack, not to let him out of your sight for point two seconds!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie—"

"Quiet, Mrs. Hastings, he's fast asleep."

She paused, her finger still out and her mouth still hanging open, as she looked at them.

"Well, well, seems like Desmond is becoming quite a schmoozer."

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around Adha's shoulders and looking at Desmond.

"Oh, my, you'd best be careful there, Altair," she murmured, looking at the two of them.

"What do you mean?" he said, setting her purse down to scoop up Shaun, who also wanted to be held.

"You two look like quite the couple. You might make someone else jealous."

Adha looked almost proud. "Thank you, Mrs. Hastings."

He watched the woman's eyebrow quirk, almost in a shocked manner, before she pursed her lips. "Do I sense a bit of competition?"

"There is no competition," she said. "I've got more to offer than _any other competitor_."

Altair watched the exchange between the two women, confused.

"Is that so?"

"Indeed."

Altair was dense, but even he could hear the venom in her voice. He was blinking, totally lost as they had a bit of a staring match. He could almost hear the tension cracking in the aura, and he decided perhaps it was best he left. He scooped up her purse and offered it to Mr. Hastings to carry.

"Right, and you're still watching them tonight?" Altair asked, facing Mrs. Hastings.

The woman smiled. "Of course, dear, you and Malik go have some fun."

He saw Adha's face fall, and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get together sometime this summer. I want to keep in contact with you when you go off."

She smiled softly, adjusting Desmond as he gripped her gown tighter. Altair passed Shaun off to his mother and fished out a small slip of paper with their hotel and room number, in case she needed to call. "Thanks again, Mrs. Hastings."

"It's no problem, Altair. Off with you two. Why don't you come with me, Miss…"

"Adha," Altair finished for her.

"Right, Miss Adha, why don't we wrestle that tired little boy into his car seat?"

"Okay, Mrs. Hastings. See you later, _Altair?_"

He nodded. "Of course. See you guys later. And Ezio," he growled, causing the boy to look at him, frightened, "find out where that damn party is, and find out what time it is."

The boy nodded. "But his present?"

"Find out when it ends, and I'll come pick you up. Mrs. Hastings knows how to reach us."

Ezio nodded, and he watched them walk off before turning to Malik. "Ready?"

"Anything to get away from _her,_" he spat, and Altair backed up a pace. He had never seen Malik so mad before.


	2. Chapter 2

They drove to the hotel in tense silence, and Altair couldn't figure out why Malik was so upset. He couldn't think of anything he had done, and he had thought Malik had been in a good mood. Without thinking, he reached over and placed a hand on his thigh, giving him a worried look as they drove.

"Hey, what's up?"

Malik seemed to visibly relax, and a pinched expression pulled on his features. "It's… nothing, Altair."

"It can't be nothing if even I can notice it."

Malik chuckled wearily. "Right, right. Only an idiot could notice something like this was wrong, but not know _what_."

He harrumphed, smacking Malik's leg and ignoring his laugh. As he pulled into the parking lot, he pulled the bag out of the truck with their things, not even, really, remembering putting it in the car. He slung an arm around Malik's shoulders as they walked in, bypassing the front, and moving straight to the elevators.

"Shouldn't we get the—"

"Keys? I already have them."

"When did you get them?"

He blinked as he pressed the button for the top floor. "I… don't remember, really. Oh, wait, when I went to go get diapers for Desmond."

Malik nodded. "Top floor, classy."

"Only the best for you, picky-shit."

Malik sniggered. "I wouldn't take anything less."

They stepped out of the elevator as it opened, padding down the silent hallway to the end, where he slid the card into the door and opened it. Malik paced in, pausing in the entryway, and he moved in front of him, inhaling deeply. It had been the last room open, a relatively large, open room, with a single bed and a large TV. The sheets were nice and fresh, and the whirlpool bath sat nicely in one corner, with ample room for two people.

"Th-the lovers' suite, r-really?"

Altair smirked, turning and laughing at Malik's blush. "I thought perhaps you might enjoy it. We can relax in the whirlpool without having to worry about wearing a bathing suit, and we can order room service, watch TV… if you think I'm giving up sleeping with you, Mal, you've got another thing coming. You're my teddy bear."

He gave a snarky grin at Malik's indignant sputter, watching as he walked over and flopped on the bed.

"Just for that, you don't get to sleep with me tonight."

"Don't be like that."

Malik huffed, and Altair rolled his eyes, sitting by his side. Malik eventually looked at him, and he felt a smile tug at the corner of his lips. They were finally done with graduation, now to survive court. He heard Malik sigh, watching his eyes flutter closed.

"Good room choice, Altair."

He swung his legs onto the bed, moving to settle against Malik. The man seemed more than content with them touching, and he slung one hand over his waist.

"Just wait till you try the whirlpool tub."

He could feel Malik smirk. "Perhaps you aren't as stupid as I thought you were."

Altair scoffed, and Malik laughed. They were content to lie like that for a while, until Malik's stomach rumbled, and he stirred, getting up and grabbing the bag while Malik browsed through the menu. He watched as he chewed on the end of the pen, and half listened as he turned on the TV to some gun show, unpacking the toiletries. Malik was ordering by the time he came back out, and he held out the menu. Altair waved it off, gesturing to him, and Malik nodded, doubling the order. He paced over and sat beside him, waiting as he finished.

"So, what did you get?"

Malik shrugged. "The charbroiled salmon in some sort of cucumber sauce."

"It sounds good."

"I figured we could share that and the pea and scallop risotto."

"Expensive much?"

"Just a bit."

Altair shook his head, settling back on his elbows. "What are you watching?"

Malik blinked, looking at the TV. "I don't know. I've never gotten to watch _cable_ before. We've only ever watched the news and weather occasionally."

Malik shrugged, handing him the remote, and he let the man settle back against his chest as he reclined in the pillows. Some minutes later, there was a knock at the door, and Malik answered it, returning with food, and Altair'd be damned if it didn't smell good. When Malik sat down, they dug in without preamble. The bite had hardly passed between his lips before he spoke.

"This is good."

"This is food without ten-year-olds and two-year-olds."

Altair nodded. "Food without them is good."

Malik nodded in response. They eventually settled on a science fiction movie, watching in wide-eyed stupor at the new, million-channeled toy they had. It was a ridiculous movie, really, something no one would ever pay to see, about a vampire being kept locked up in a basement of an apartment complex, and the idiot that kept the vampire there. The details were horrible. In one camera pan, the left arm might be ripped off, in another, the right, all within the same scene, and he found himself biting back snickers when Malik would rip into the movie. He was surprised when his fork hit an empty plate, and he glanced down to see the food completely gone, the plate cleaned. Malik looked just as shocked.

"That was really good."

Malik nodded. "It's a pity it's gone all ready."

"Maybe we should order more."

"We could try out the deserts."

They stared at the empty plate for a little while longer, the movie in the background. He was torn between ordering more and just enjoying the night. He wasn't all that hungry: it had done a good job of filling him up. But, he wanted to try more. This was probably the last time he'd get to try something like this for a long time. With a little hesitation, he wrapped his fingers around Malik's arm and pulled him back into the pillows. Malik looked at him before he rolled his eyes and sighed, cuddling him. He snaked an arm around his waist as the movie continued to play, and Malik squirmed, nestling against him. He could remember several other times they had done this, once for his birthday, and twice for Malik's. His friend seemed to love cuddling on the couch and watching movies (although if someone asked him what his favorite movie genre was, he would vehemently deny "romantic comedy"). It was their alone time nestled against each other as the man on screen freaked out about sacrificing his best friend to the vampire. As it approached the end, Malik had his hand and head resting against his chest, the other nestled beneath him, and Altair had one arm wrapped around his shoulders, running through his hair, the other with the remote.

"That was horrible," Malik said as the credits began to roll.

"Yeah," he murmured.

"Let's try another," he said, and Altair raised the remote, flipping absentmindedly through the channels and stopping on the Hallmark channel. There was a special on, with _The Princess Bride_.

"Let's watch this," Malik murmured, and Altair complied.

He set the remote down, still running his hand through Malik's hair as they cuddled on the bed. They hardly moved throughout the movie, perfectly content with where they were. Eventually, Malik shifted, yawning, and Altair adjusted himself. Glancing at the clock, and realizing it was already eleven (geez, it was an hour past his bedtime), Altair shook his head to pull himself away to try out the tub. After he had filled it, he stripped to his boxers, and he could feel Malik's gaze on him. He could hear the whirl of the water as the tub frothed, and, a little curiously, he picked up the liquid soap stuff, popping open the cap and dumping some in.

He had seen it before, in the movies, when a mother, ragged from a day's work, would come slumping home and steal an hour to relax in the tub. She would make the bathtub full of bubbles, and when she would get in, her eyes would close, and she would look so _relaxed_. He had always wanted to try it, but then Desmond was born, and even before his mother had left, he was taking care of him more than her. Now he had a chance, and he was actually a little excited. It smelled wonderful, and he watched with fascination as mounds of bubbles grew. When he had pulled off his boxers, he could still feel Malik staring and turned to face him.

"Wanna join me?"

He quirked a brow at how quickly Malik snapped his gaze away. "Maybe later."

With a shrug, he slipped into the tub, feeling the water whirl around him and tilting his head back, closing his eyes. The water felt _wonderful_. He could feel the pulse of the streams wash over him, and the bubbles beneath his nose smelled great. The water was warm and enticing, and he wished Malik would join him. He would love it. The flow of the water seemed to ease the tension out of his muscles, and he could feel himself relaxing. He was done with high school for good, and the court date would be over with soon. He could feel the worry creeping up on him, only to be washed away, and his mind was slowly fragmenting as he stayed in the water, the noise from the tub making it hard to concentrate. Weariness was making itself known, lodging deep in his bones and slowly taking over him. He exhaled loudly, slipping a little bit further into the tub. This was paradise. After a bit, he could feel Malik's eyes back on him.

"I'd love your company," he murmured, tilting his head to gaze at him, feeling the stress slowly melting away. "'S very relaxing."

Malik stared at him for what seemed like forever, before, slowly, he got up and peeled off his clothes. Altair watched him undress, admiring the body beneath as if he hadn't seen it a million times before, and he moved an arm to wrap around Malik's shoulders when the man stepped in. He could feel him tense, but it wasn't long before they were settled together in the water, letting it ease their minds and muscles.

Altair stirred awake, groggy and trying to figure out where he was, until he remembered he was still in the whirlpool tub, and the water was now cold. With too much effort, he pulled himself up, got out, and moved Malik from the tub to the bed, pulling the drain and clicking it off. He turned off the TV and the lights, tucked him under the covers, and crawled in beside his best friend, wrapping his arms around him as they shared body heat.

It was nearly one in the afternoon before they woke again, curled up tightly around each other and nestled far into the covers. Altair inhaled deeply, Malik's hair tickling his nose as the man grunted quietly and stretched. The bed was warm, and so was Malik, and for _once_, Altair felt well rested. He opened his eyes when he felt Malik look at him, and he met his gaze. They looked so tired, and when his friend yawned, Altair grunted, letting Malik re-curl against his chest.

It was five in the evening before they officially woke, stretching under the warm covers of the bed and slowly, progressively, making their way to the outside. By the time six rolled around, they were dressed and groomed, lying on the bed side-by-side. When the phone went off, Altair answered it with a grunt, and he was almost ashamed to find Mrs. Hastings on the other line.

"Did you have a good night?"

He grunted a "yes," earning an odd look from Malik, and an amused chuckle from Mrs. Hastings.

"I'm glad. His party isn't over until nine, dear. Figured I should call and tell you that."

"Thanks," he grunted, running a hand through his hair.

"Would you like me to take him one more night? They were such a treat, and so helpful with the boys."

"Did Desmond do okay? It was his first time away from home."

"He was a doll, passed out promptly at eight after waking when we pried him from Adha."

Altair snorted. "Yeah. That's his bedtime."

She chuckled. "Well, if you need one more night…"

"Thanks, Mrs. Hastings. I'll talk it over with Malik."

"That's fine with me. Let me give you the address and the time again."

He nodded, slowly fetching the pen and paper. "Okay."

He jotted them down, then said his farewells and hung up. Malik was still watching him, and he grunted as he flopped down beside him on his stomach.

"Well?"

"Nine. She also offered to take the boys another night, but I had only figured in one night's stay into the budget."

"Maybe you should figure a second night's stay."

"I'm tempted to."

"What time do you have to put in an appearance to the party?"

"Sometime before nine."

Malik sighed, and he felt the man lie across his back. "We still have two hours then."

"We could go get dinner after we check out."

There was silence for a moment. "That sounds nice. One last meal before we get the rug-rats back."

"That's what I thought. Where would you like to go?"

He heard Malik sigh, feeling his entire chest go with the motion as they lie there. The bed was really too comfortable, and he felt as if he could stay there forever with Malik. No more little kids, no more late nights trying to put them to bed, and no more rushing around like a chicken with his head cut off—he could do whatever. He could plan his college classes to his schedule, and not his brothers. He could invite Adha out on a date, or sleep in with Malik (of course, knowing him, he might plan his classes early just to spite him. Then again, he was never an early person). Life seemed as if it would be easier without his brothers. Life seemed fun.

"What on earth are you thinking about now, Altair?"

"How much fun life would be without our brothers?"

He could hear Malik smirk, and a few seconds passed before he heard him agree.

"We could sleep in every day," Altair suggested.

"We could eat good food."

"We could stay up late and enjoy it."

"We could not conform to someone else's schedule."

"See?"

"Life would be good."

"We'll start with your brother."

"What?" Malik hissed, sitting up, and Altair looked at him, smirking.

"Earth can't handle two Al-Sayfs."

Malik blinked, then smacked his head, and he laughed, getting up.

"If anything, Ezio is the one we should start with," Altair said, chuckling.

"Or Desmond."

"Desmond might be a good choice." He scoffed. "You realize his birthday is a few months away?"

"Oh, great, an annoying three-year-old, one step up from an annoying two-year-old."

Altair snorted, making the atmosphere seem even lighter with their mindless bickering. "You're an ass."

"And you aren't? I'm not the one who agreed to kill a two-year-old."

"I'm not the one who suggested it."

"But you seemed willing to do it."

"So? You suggested it."

"That won't hold up in court—"

"Let's not talk about that. I'm still relaxed."

Malik snorted, his legs connecting with his thighs and causing him to fall of the bed. He growled when Malik looked over at him. "Still relaxed now?"

"Get your shit together. Let's go."

Malik rolled his eyes. "You are such a child sometimes."

"So? I do more to raise them than you."

"You wish," Malik said with a scoff, and Altair held his head high as they packed.

"Maybe we could lock them in a closet for a while."

Malik laughed behind him. "They'd figure out how to get out."

"Not if we barricaded it with some heavy furniture."

"What would we do after that?"

He paused. It wasn't as if he actually planned on ever doing that to his brothers. "I don't know."

"How about steal some liquor?"

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, and try a few drugs, too, while we're at it."

They were chuckling as they checked the room once more, then shut the door and proceeded to the check out. There was an easy silence as Malik slid into the driver's seat, and Altair handed him the keys, leaning back in the passenger's seat as he fished out the address and set it on the dashboard for later. He watched as they eventually pulled into the parking lot of Zoup, some restaurant known exclusively for their soups, and when he walked in, he realized exactly why he had never been there.

Sure, it looked like a coffee house, but the food was pricey, and there was little that a child might actually eat. After looking over the options, he eventually decided on the butternut squash and apple soup, figuring that looked as good as any, and he was in a daring mood. After they poured it into a bowl for him, sliced some bread, and rang him and Malik up, they sat in a booth against the window. Malik had gotten some sort of spiced chickpea soup, and he wasn't going to deny it looked good.

"What the Hell did you get?"

Altair shrugged, dipping the spoon into the bowl and bringing to his lips, blowing softly. "Something I know I'll probably never get to have again."

Malik rolled his eyes. "I'll give you that."

Altair leaned back in the seat as he tasted it: the soup was good. He picked up the bowl and held it lightly as he ate, watching the people pass by.

"I wonder if Desmond slept okay," he said, flicking his gaze toward Malik, who looked up and blinked.

"I suppose so."

"I hope he did. It was his first time not at home."

Malik nodded. "I'm sure he was okay with Ezio and Kadar there."

He exhaled heavily. "I got lucky with those two."

"What do you mean?"

Altair looked at Malik, meeting his gaze. The man's eyes seemed to be scrutinizing him. The serious look on his face made Altair raise an eyebrow, and he looked back outside. There was a woman pushing a baby carriage down the sidewalk, chatting away on a cell phone as the child squirmed, and a man walking his dog underneath the bright sun on the warm day, his arm in a cast, signed and decorated. Two joggers went by, red and blue sweatbands and ragged tennis shoes, looking thoroughly winded. The birds were fluttering from building to building, and he thought he saw a hawk on the McDonalds sign, watching all the birds as if they were snacks.

"It could be worse," he muttered, watching as a baby blue Prius pulled up to the light, rolling to a stop.

There was dent in the door, and the finish was scratched. An empty MotoMart cup blew down the side of the street slowly in the light breeze, and a fly was struggling to straighten itself a few inches behind Malik on the windowsill.

"They're blessings."

The child in the carriage was screaming and crying now, and his heart went out to her and her mother briefly. The hawk took to the skies, and the car pulled away with a whine. He watched as the dog went after one of the birds.

"They're alive and well-behaved. They're healthy, happy, and helpful most of the time."

He watched as the hawk snatched a bird from the air, flying off quickly to enjoy his meal, and the dog went crazy, barking at all the birds from the hawk's disturbance. One of the joggers tripped on the cup blowing along, and he watched as the partner bent over him, worried. The mother was holding her baby, the cell phone forgotten in the carriage, and he watched as the child cried. He slowly pulled his eyes away from the scene and looked at Malik, who was still giving him that intense, scrutinizing gaze.

"I got you through them."

Malik jerked back, his eyes wide, and Altair let his eyes drift back outside, taking another bite of soup as he watched the jogger get back up and keep going. The dog had settled down and was walking with his master.

"And you've helped me raise those three boys the best I can."

He finished his soup quietly, watching the mother until the child was calmed, and she put her back in the carriage, putting the cell phone away. The joggers were laughing as they slowly grew smaller and smaller, and the man with the cast was crossing the street, the dog happily prancing in front of him. He looked down when his spoon hit an empty bowl, and he set it down with a sigh. Malik looked deep in thought, his arms crossed against his chest, and his brow furrowed as he stared at him. Altair watched him passively for a moment before leaning back and meeting his gaze. He loved the long summer days.

"Ready to go?"

Malik blinked, slowly getting off his train of thought, and when he nodded, Altair rose, gathering the trash. He dumped it into the bin and set the tray and dishes on top, inhaling deeply as they stepped into the streets. With one last look around, he slid into the seat and leaned back. He pulled the paper from the dashboard and handed it to Malik, who was silent as he read the address, pulled out, and drove them to the house.

There were cars lining the streets in the small suburb, and he sighed as Malik found a place to park. There was silence in the car for several minutes, the hum of the engine the only sound other than that of the boys behind the house. He heard Malik look at him, and he turned his head to look back. They stared at each other for a bit, neither making any motion of getting out.

"I don't want to go."

"Neither do I."

"You don't have to."

"I won't leave you."

Altair scoffed quietly. "Thanks."

Neither of them moved for a while longer, until they spotted Ezio running around the front of the house, two young boys hot on his tail. Altair watched them approach.

"Last night was nice, thanks for coming with me," Altair murmured. Ezio was almost there.

"Thanks for letting me," Malik responded, and Altair flinched when Ezio ran into the side of the car, his face plastered against the windowpane.

"I guess… our vacation has ended," he muttered, pushing open the door and watching the boy dance out of the way.

"Altair! You came!"

"Of course I did. I told you I would."

He heard Malik turn off the car, get out and shut his door, and Altair waited for him before they walked around back to the party, Ezio all ready back in the action. There were twenty or so young boys, all goofing off either in a pool or with Nerf guns, and it was then he realized Ezio was dressed in his swim trunks, and that Mrs. Hastings must have taken him home to fetch them. There was a porch on the upper part, the lower floor of the porch divided in half with some bed sheets and laundry lines. The lower floor of the house was open, and carved into the hill, the pool sitting a few paces from the porch. There was a grill going with a group of men around it and a table filled with food, and mothers lined the seats on the porch, watching safely out of harm's way. The backyard was had several trees perfect for climbing and hiding in, and bushes arranged artfully across the lawn.

He watched Ezio pull a young boy over, who looked surprised, and his mother in tow with a camera, shaking her head and giving Altair an apologetic look. Altair sighed, standing up, and Ezio grinned as he shoved the kid forward.

"I told you! He'll sign it!"

The boy looked at him with awe, and there were several other kids watching, gathering around Ezio with their Nerf guns and waiting with baited breath. The boy held out the newspaper article (did everyone and their _dog_ keep that article or something? It was bad enough there'd be _more_ media coverage at the actual trial) and a Sharpie, and Altair sighed resignedly as he pulled the cap off and signed the piece of paper, handing it over and watching as the boy took it back.

He could feel a soft smile pull at his lips as Ezio threw an arm around the boy's shoulders, talking animatedly about how he knew Altair would sign it for him because he was that awesome. He thought the boy was rather shy, occasionally looking up from the piece of paper to cast a quick glance at him, then look back down immediately. Of course, Ezio would target the shy boys, and poor what's-his-face looked about ready to faint.

"Can he get his picture with you, Mr…"

"Just Altair. My last name is a mess of Arabic."

"Oh, you don't have the same last name as your brother?"

He shook his head. "No, we have different fathers."

Ezio was pulling the kid over and trying to get him on his back, and Altair relented. He could at least try to lighten up while he was here. He helped the boy on his back, standing with a grunt. At least he was lighter than Ezio. Probably had something to do with the thinness of the boy.

"Hurry up and get your picture now, while he's still smiling," Malik drawled, and Altair spun around, aiming a kick at his shin.

Malik snorted, moving out of the way in time, and Altair scowled.

"Sorry, I ruined the shot for you. Smile, Altair," he said in the patronizing way that he _knew_ irritated him.

"Malik," Ezio said, his shoulders slumping. "It was gonna be the perfect shot!"

Malik shrugged. "Sorry, Ezio. I didn't mean to."

Kadar came bounding over, holding a gun in one hand, and two more in the other. "Hurry up, Ezio! We need you and Rauf back!"

Altair quirked a brow, looking at the Nerf guns.

"Hey, Altair! Malik! Will you—"

"No," came Malik's immediate response, and Altair smirked, adjusting Rauf.

"I will, after this shot."

"He's on my team!" Rauf called, and Altair laughed.

"Okay! I got the photo!"

He looked at the mother, who had a smug look. He rolled his eyes, letting Rauf down, and watching as the boy fetched him a loaded gun and some ammunition.

"If you get shot, you gotta sit out for a couple of minutes in your base if it's a vital hit. Otherwise, you can pull yourself to safety and shoot from there," the boy said, all his shyness forgotten with the prospect of the _Great Altair Ibn-La'Ahad_ on his team. "Our base is that half of the porch."

He turned, nodding as he memorized the right side as his base. He watched the boy point to his enemies, and he memorized them each in turn.

"Got it?"

Altair nodded.

"Awesome! Let's go!"

Without a second thought, Altair dashed off. He found himself staring at the front of the house, eyeing the rough brick. With a set expression, he nodded and jumped, grabbing ahold and pulling himself up little by little, picking off his enemies from the roof of the house when they would run around to the front looking for him. Rauf looked ecstatic when they discovered him up there, and Ezio was laughing. Kadar looked mad (of course, he was the first one Altair shot), and he chuckled. Eventually, there was a small lull in the game as the food was finished, and Altair came pacing back around to where Malik was sitting with the mothers.

"Having fun, novice?"

Altair smirked, his last bullet for that round safely inside the gun, and he held the Nerf gun up slowly, aiming directly between Malik's eyes. Malik's eyes grew wide for a moment, then narrowed sinisterly.

"You don't want to do that."

"Do it!" he heard from below, and he grinned maliciously as he cocked the gun.

"Altair," Malik said, sitting up straight and giving him a warning look.

A chant had started up from the boys, and Altair couldn't keep that grin off his face as it grew louder, the "Do it!"s increasing in volume as more boys joined in. He was staring straight at Malik, the trigger ready, and he curled his finger around it.

"I'm warning you," he growled.

* * *

><p><strong>Woooo, yeah! I'm in a great mood! I'm in such great mood I decided I wouldn't spam your inboxes with all forty-one pages of this! It's only twenty-one! XP<strong>

**MY APOLOGIES. I NEED TO SAY THE FOLLOWING: THANK YOU TO HAWK WING AND FERA FISH FOR ALL THEIR HELP WITH FACTUAL PART OF THE COURT AND EVERYTHING THAT WENT IN IT. ALSO, THANK YOU TO WARFANG, WHO HAS BEEN PATIENTLY HELPING ME WITH _EVERYTHING_. **

**Anyway, more to come. Much more to come. What do you think so far? I'm trying hard to make "slice-of-life" entertaining. Anyway, the title is Spanish. I couldn't think of anything else. Continue?**


End file.
